Our co-production of Bach’s St John Passion with Marquee TV 1 April 2021

The films stars Mark Padmore as musical director and tenor soloist and is filmed by eminent British cinematographer Grant Gee at the Battersea Arts Centre; an iconic Victorian Town Hall in London.

Bach’s St John Passion is not simply a beautiful piece of music, but a reflection on suffering and an attempt to make sense of it. Since our lives have been disrupted by the pandemic, the Passion now speaks to us from a fresh understanding of suffering, igniting in us a personal sense of compassion and empathy.

Our Chief Executive, Crispin Woodhead, says:

“I am extremely proud of this co-production with Marquee TV. This collaboration marks an important milestone in the digital creative ambition of the OAE and signals the huge value in partnership at a time when cooperation between organisations is so important for recovery of the artistic sector. Working with a major player like Marquee TV has a direct grass-roots impact for us – year 12 students from our London home in Acland Burghley School are studying the production process and developing the footage into a documentary vision of their own. This is truly a whole greater than the sum of its parts.”

Susannah Simons, Editorial Director at Marquee TV, says:

‘At a time when the industry has had to innovate more than ever, this is a wonderful example of a creative team rising to the occasion, producing something both musically and visually emotive and inspiring. For this work to be touching students so directly adds to its importance.”